Successful (e-) learning is all about one critical thing: motivation. Giving your learners the drive to absorb new knowledge. In distance learning and online learning, that motivation is even more important. And as many of us are sat at home either working remotely or unable to work at all, the demand for online learning is soaring.

Companies are scrambling to set up seminars, webinars, e-learning, and certifications for their learners. It goes without saying that a good Learning Management System (LMS) can make that task significantly easier.What it can’t do though, is motivate your learners. Only expertly crafted learning content can do that.

This content should fully engage your learners and makes optimal use of the possibilities of an online learning environment. The best results then, come from deploying both elements in harmony. In this article, we provide clear steps and guidelines for picking the right LMS, as well as crafting compelling learning content.

What is a learning management system?

There is really no need for some of the complicated definitions you might encounter. Simply put: a Learning Management System (LMS) is a website that serves your learning content. Its functionality is rather basic:

You upload your learning materials to the LMS

Your learners register and take the courses

After completion the LMS outputs (detailed) reports on their performance

Some learning management system software adds features like support for live trainings in order to enable blended learning (a mix of online and live training), but that’s basically it. So why is choosing the right LMS so complicated and does it sometimes feel deliberately confusing?

Should you go for an open source learning management system, or pick a cloud-based SaaS solution? What about additional features like gamification, social learning and videoconferencing? The competition is fierce, and most learning management system providers will promise anything and everything.

To help out with the technical part of the selection progress, we suggest you make use of the many detailed checklists. That’s not the focus of this article. Instead, we want to take a step back and re-focus on the broader picture. Choosing a LMS is about common sense. It’s a lot like buying a car. Don’t buy a convertible to make deliveries. Pick the right car for the job, don’t get distracted by gadgets. Here are 5 simple steps to cut through the noise and pick the LMS that’s right for you.

1. Define the purpose of your Learning Management System

First things first: what is the purpose of your LMS? What’s your goal? What’s your organization’s perspective on learning? What are your company’s training ambitions for today – and for the future? To find out, make sure you:

Talk to your learning stakeholders

Talk to the IT department

To talk to the end-users

List the recurring requirements

Clearly distinguish between must-haves and nice-to-haves

True story: A large international supermarket chain invited us, as content experts, to their online learning kick-off meeting. Unfortunately, the meeting was surprisingly short, as supermarket representatives made clear that:A) every supermarket only had 2 computers that could be configured for e-learning B) the learners (cashiers and stock clerks) didn’t have any free time in their schedules to learn C) unpaid learning outside hours was not an option. So before you do anything else, ask yourself: Do your learners have the right tools and the time to learn?

2. Count the number of learners / users

Get an accurate picture of the number of learners you’re aiming for. It determines the price of a SaaS LMS and impacts the stability of the LMS if it’s hosted on your internal servers. And again, look to the future – as your organization grows, so will the scope of your trainings.

3. Set a correct budget

A LMS is a huge cost-saver, so don’t settle for a peanut budget. Just think of how many man-hours of work, travel, and expenses you will save by moving (part of) your training from the classroom to your learner’s computer. Don’t be afraid to show this calculation to your colleagues and win yourself a bigger budget. And remember, the LMS is just an empty box. Make sure you set aside sufficient budget to invest in quality learning content.

(VISUAL OF LEARNING OR EXPLAINER)

One dangerous pitfall is the concept of a “free online learning management system”: beware that no such thing exists. Even an open source LMS will require plenty of hours worth of integration, development and support – and someone to act as administrator.

True story: a large retailer asked us to create content for the free LMS they had just decided on. Three months later the courses were finished, but the LMS still wasn’t up and running. In fact, the “free learning management system” had already cost a small fortune in integration and customization – as the ever-increasing group of stakeholders kept piling on feature after feature.

4. Balance benefits and budget

Once you’ve established your must-have requirements, your learners, and your budget, you have clear criteria to go shopping. Put the dealers to work and let them match their LMS to your requirements.

Don’t get distracted by trendy extras: 70% of all learning management system features are never used. This is because many LMSs have taken the swiss army knife approach: they’re chock full of built-in features that do a little bit of everything but don’t excel at anything.

Take gamification for example. If you’re convinced virtual badges and scoreboards will send your learners over the moon, then go for it. But if you really want to harness the power of didactic gamification, it pays to get advice from experts.

Account for administration and management costs

Finally, no LMS runs itself. So don’t opt for an enterprise level LMS unless you really need one. Consider the workload in terms of administration. Who will examine all the reports? Can the LMS be integrated with your existing systems and how much work will that be? Focus on the must-have practicalities.

5. Try before you buy

After you’ve shortlisted your providers but before you make a decision, take some test drives. A learning management system demo is a great to way try it out yourself – both as admin and end user.

For end users, registering, navigating the LMS, and finding courses should be as easy as visiting YouTube or Facebook. In this day and age, anything more complicated isn’t worth investing in – your learners certainly won’t. As admin, try uploading and assigning a course and downloading the correct reporting. Any required training should be minimal.

(VISUAL: SOMETHING REPRESENTING EASE OF USE)

Ideally you want a scorm compliant learning management system that conforms to accessibility requirements and runs equally well on mobile devices. If anything feels convoluted or clunky, then scratch the LMS off your list.

And that list is long: Totara, Moodle, Docebo, SAP, captivate prime, Mindflash, Articulate online .., so which is best? It’s almost impossible to say. Every platform has its advantages and disadvantages and market shares vary in every country. But with these five straightforward steps, you’re armed with a sharp focus on finding the best solution for your organization. And that’s the only thing that matters.

Bought the right LMS and fully implemented and integrated it with your systems? Then make it accessible, in every sense of the word:

To LMS or not to LMS?

But what if, after all your thorough preparation and extensive research, you still can’t find an LMS that fits well with your organization? Then chances are that you don’t need an LMS – you may just need a basic platform that puts your learning out there.

Such an alternative could be anything from a dedicated website (WordPress can manage this job just fine), a polling tool, to an interactive video player that allows links and quizzing. These three alternatives for a LMS can cover the bases for user interactions, tracking and analytics.
Unsure? Reach out to your learning provider for a practical solution.

To LMS or not to LMS – Is it even the right question?

An LMS can make your life – and your learners’ lives – a lot easier. But only quality content will make any learning happen. If content is king, then learning content is King Kong. So how do we climb the proverbial empire state building?

Three crucial questions to ask before you create e-learning content

So, you’ve defined your topics. Now define who will create the actual learnings. All too often, this task is passed on to content experts who are given an authoring tool and then left to their own devices. Every organization boasts subject matter experts who are great teachers, but online training comes with very specific parameters, and unique strengths and limitations. Because direct human interaction is missing from the picture, it takes a new bag of tricks to keep learners engaged.

Will you put learning content online or will you offer online learning content?

Putting existing presentations of recordings of seminars in your LMS are at best watered-down versions of the original live experiences. Text-heavy trainings can drive your learners to tears, as anyone who’s ever tried to read a novel on a laptop screen will confirm. A picture says more than a thousand words, and this is especially true in online trainings. Online training is a visual medium, and for it to work, you need to play to its strengths.

(ADD VISUAL OF LEARNINGS, E.G.: EDUCAM, BEKAERT, …)

Will your learners watch the content? Or participate in it?

All too often, companies expect their employees to learn because it’s what they need to know. It’s mandatory. As a result, learners lean back and let the overlong content wash over them, zapping from one screen to the next until they reach and complete the final quiz. What’s missing is a clearly defined target audience and “What’s in it for me?” for that audience. Also missing are all the questions, examples and exercises you’d expect in a live training. And yet, all of these can be included in online training with standard authoring tools.

How to really make your e-learning content come alive

You want to get your learners hooked from the start. You want them to clearly understand:

What they’ll learn

What they’ll achieve

What’s in it for them

Ideally, you’ll also refer to previous knowledge, so learners can build on what they’ve already learned. In presenting the content materials, you’ll want to offer a logical series of bite-sized chunks of learning.

You’ll also want to add plenty of variation: it’s imperative to guide the learner through a logical path, with plenty of examples and exercises in between. Practice makes perfect even in online learning, and feedback provides invaluable learning moments.

(ADD VISUAL OF COMPLEX INTERACTIVE EXERCISE: EDUCAM OR NESPRESSO)

Finally, you’ll want to test learner understanding, provide context for their scores, and include supporting materials to make the content stick.

Too ambitious for online training? Not at all. The above points are drawn from Robert Gagné’s 9 points of instruction. They have been a staple of the training world for decades and they’re the essential ingredients of an online training. Learn all about this methodology in our upcoming blog “Nine events of Instruxion”

Due to the tough competition that is present in the marketplace, many businesses find it difficult to come up with strategies that can help them gain a greater market share. If your business has suffered from lower sales in the past due to the lack of new marketing techniques, you can use interactive videos. Interactive videos enable the company to communicate with their audiences. It also helps in finding the customer queries that consumers are likely to have about the company’s products.

1. Increases customer engagement

Many companies are worried about the sales forecast. They are likely to be concerned about the idea of losing their loyal customers to their rivals. Therefore, it is important to have a unique promotional strategy like interactive video on the website so that you are able to inform the consumers about the benefits of using your company’s brand. If the consumers view interactive videos they are able to decide if they want to purchase the company’s products. Interactive video enables the users to positively engage with the company’s products.

2. Improves brand image

Interactive video uses high quality graphics that includes the addition of gamification content that provides a differentiation point to the company’s products.

Instruxion creates interactive videos as per the client’s demand so that the clients may stay one step ahead from their competitors. By creating visually stimulating and engaging interactive video, a company can improve its brand image. Interactive video also helps you communicate your brand’s message effectively with the audience. Interactive videos also give the audience an opportunity to provide feedback to the company by clicking on the tab provided in the video. In this way a company can know what their brand lacks and how consumers perceive their current brand strategy.

3. Interactive videos can be used for e-learning

One of the most important benefits of interactive videos is that they can make the learning process extremely interesting for the audience. Many businesses that offer distance learning programmes for its employees.

4. Annual reports in the interactive format stimulates attention

Corporate presentations can be difficult and extensive. Due to their length stakeholders and vendors can lose interest and may not pay attention to the content. By transforming the content used in Annual Reports into interactive videos businesses can make information more interesting and can explain the facts concisely. Businesses can also use interactive videos to explain their clients about the financial growth in a creative way.

In today’s age interactive videos can be used as an efficient marketing technique to engage people with your brand. Therefore, it is important to hire a experienced communication company like Instruxion to develop an effective marketing strategy for your brand.

Wereld Autisme Dag

The National Cyber Security Centre: awareness video’s NCSC

RTBF/Vivacité – Explainer video Viva For Life 2016

]]>Interactive annual reports: engage your audiencehttps://www.instruxion.com/nl/interactive-annual-reports-engage-your-audience/
Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:27:43 +0000http://www.instruxion.com/?p=2855Annual Reports Annual reports can be boring, heavy, full of numbers and difficult to read. Yet they contain important information for your stakeholders, employees and many others. So why not make them interesting and engaging? By developing animated annual reports...

Annual reports can be boring, heavy, full of numbers and difficult to read. Yet they contain important information for your stakeholders, employees and many others. So why not make them interesting and engaging?

By developing animated annual reports you will increase their visibility and they will be more easily read and shared on social media. People will want to read them, which will greatly influence your branding and people’s knowledge and perception of your company.

Since your report will be accessible on-demand, everybody from users to stakeholders can easily access the information anytime. The interactive character of this annual report will engage your audience more, resulting in a stronger emotional connection between them and your company, brand, product or service.

On top of that, the report is available online and therefore reduces your printing costs. It will also discourage people from printing a hard copy helping you to reach your sustainability initiatives. Interested in interactive annual reports? Contact us for more information.

]]>ISO 9001:2008https://www.instruxion.com/nl/iso-90012008/
Mon, 15 Sep 2014 13:19:03 +0000http://www.instruxion.com/?p=2849We’re proud to announce that we now meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2008, the latest quality management system standards of ISO within our sector. This ISO standard stands for customer satisfaction and various other aspects relating to quality management. There...

]]>We’re proud to announce that we now meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2008, the latest quality management system standards of ISO within our sector. This ISO standard stands for customer satisfaction and various other aspects relating to quality management.

There are more than 19,500 international standards developed by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) each providing requirements, guidelines, etc. to ensure that services, materials, processes and products are of high quality. To be awarded this certification we had to prove that we met the quality requirements set out in this ISO standard and lived up to the regulatory compliances. Moreover, we had to show a constant improvement within these categories over the last few years and will to continue to do so over the following years.

“The ISO 9001:2008 certification is a reward for all the efforts we made as a team concerning the improvement of our services and organization. It’s a great incentive to keep on doing so in the future” – Frederik Van Hecke, Operations Manager.

]]>Get your message across with infographicshttps://www.instruxion.com/nl/get-your-message-across-with-infographics/
Wed, 10 Sep 2014 13:35:10 +0000http://www.instruxion.com/?p=2860You have probably seen a few infographics before. Since they visualize complex information in an easy-to-follow graphic representation, they are very effective and efficient in conveying information. Thanks to these infographics complex information becomes easy to understand and comprehend for...

]]>You have probably seen a few infographics before. Since they visualize complex information in an easy-to-follow graphic representation, they are very effective and efficient in conveying information. Thanks to these infographics complex information becomes easy to understand and comprehend for any audience.

An infographic is very versatile and can contain words, graphs, signs, diagrams, maps, charts and any other element that could help bringing your message across. No matter how boring or complex your initial information was, an infographic will make it presentable in an easy-to-understand and fun way. By using a recognizable template or framework, they are also ideal to communicate periodic reoccurring information.

Infographics do not just educate people, they also help you tell a story, market a content or present a new product. Are you ready to bring your message across? Then contact us!

]]>What does an animation, video, app or edugame cost?https://www.instruxion.com/nl/what-does-an-animation-video-app-or-edugame-cost/
Tue, 17 Jun 2014 13:07:00 +0000http://www.instruxion.com/?p=2586Creating an animation, app or edugame is mainly a matter of expertise and production time. Unlike the development of physical products, no budget is needed for materials, since an animation is created digitally and will be delivered online as well....

]]>Creating an animation, app or edugame is mainly a matter of expertise and production time. Unlike the development of physical products, no budget is needed for materials, since an animation is created digitally and will be delivered online as well. We can even do without paper, prints, CDs, DVDs or couriers!

So what do the production costs consist of? Well, various experts take part in a project. Upfront, a work breakdown structure of a particular project is set up, to list the amount of working hours or days that will be needed to complete all tasks. These include:

– a kick-off meeting (conference call or live meeting), in which a project manager and, at times, also a copywriter is involved;
– copywriting and storyboarding, by a copywriter;
– voice-over recording, including the fee for the voice talent and the costs for studio reservation and sound engineering;
– photo or video recording, if needed, including the fee for the actors (in case of storytelling), studio reservation, photo or video equipment, and editing/montage production costs;
– creation of design, illustrations and animation, by a creative team;
– development of a technical framework or IT-platform, connection to a client’s LMS, creation of a specific player or various versions of the final animation, all done by an IT team.

Now, an animation is developed in these subsequent phases.

If the content is not exactly outlined at the start of the project, an analysis might be needed to extract the essential messages to be conveyed. This analysis phase might take one or more working days, depending on the amount of content that is provided and on necessary live meetings with various stakeholders.

Next, the storyboarding phase refers to the amount of time to write a script (voice-over text, outline of all content) and a storyboard (including visuals and animation instructions), which is the blueprint for the animation. You can compare it to the detailed plans that an architect creates, and needs to have approved before the actual construction of the building starts.

Voice-over recordings and possible photo or video shoots can vary in a wide range of costs: they depend on the use of unknown or famous voice talents, actors versus internal employees, indoor or outdoor shoots on the company’s premises, in a studio or on location, role playing scenes versus video testimonials, …

The creation and development of theanimation itself is apt to the style of the preferred visualization and animation. An animation that explains how an application works (viz. a demo based on screenshots) or what a new strategy or product stands for (viz. an animation based on icons, illustrations or photos) might need less time to develop than a cartoon animation (for example to show business use cases), a video that contains live shot scenes, a 3D animation, or an app, edugame or animation containing advanced interactivity (personalization, assessments, info screens etc), to name only a few possibilities.

And finally, programming work regarding additional formatting of the animation or video to be delivered (for use on pc only via an intranet, YouTube, HD expo screens, a particular LMS), and possible platform set-up and hosting by the animation provider must also be taken into account.

As you can see, there’s no such default budget for an animation or a video, as you cannot define a budget for a movie either, or to continue the architectural comparison, for the construction of a house. Depending on the content, the size (duration in terms of video), the visualization and animation style, the amount of features, the deliverables etc, a detailed custom work breakdown structure is created, in order to calculate a realistic offer for your request.
And vice versa of course: if you ask an architect to design and have a house built for you within a fixed budget, he or she will verify in detail what is feasible and create a proposal that meets your needs.

]]>The Power of Creative Visualizationhttps://www.instruxion.com/nl/the-power-of-creative-visualization/
https://www.instruxion.com/nl/the-power-of-creative-visualization/#respondWed, 04 Jun 2014 12:19:14 +0000http://www.instruxion.com/?p=2791‘Creative visualization’ refers to a concept often used in sports and in daily life activities: by visually ‘materializing’ objectives over and over again, these sportsmen attempt to enhance their performance. When physically training, they are able to put full cognitive...

]]>‘Creative visualization’ refers to a concept often used in sports and in daily life activities: by visually ‘materializing’ objectives over and over again, these sportsmen attempt to enhance their performance. When physically training, they are able to put full cognitive preoccupation of their environment aside and focus on a specific future goal via repetitive imaginary visuals. Thus, creative visualization induces even physical change.

The concept is not really related to a business environment, but it stands out like a sore thumb: on a more pragmatic level, creative visualization might be a possible solution to solve complex business problems and achieve success. By thinking of the most suitable visualization for a message that needs to be conveyed, and materializing this visualization into an animation or video, including the right amount of repetition, a viewer is given the perfect tool to concretely move towards his/her (and depending on the case also the company’s) strategic targets. Concrete visual repetition enhances change, be it behavioral or cognitive. When viewing an instructive animation, a consumer, customer or employee detaches him or herself for a short while from the physical environment, and enters an imaginary world, similarly to watching a movie. Problem-solving is often linked to briefly distancing oneself from the problem, in order to ‘refresh’ the brain and gain the right insights from thoughts that might not even seem to be associated to the problem itself at first sight.

When instructive animations or explainers are developed in a smart, creative way, they guide the viewer via various senses (listen, view, interact) and let them step out of their actual environment for a very short time (even for minutes only) in order to have them experience a moment of creative visualization that will no doubt have an impact on their way of thinking (e.g. knowledge about processes, products and tools) and/or their behavior (e.g. change management).

]]>https://www.instruxion.com/nl/the-power-of-creative-visualization/feed/0Everyone can create an animation!https://www.instruxion.com/nl/everyone-can-create-an-animation/
https://www.instruxion.com/nl/everyone-can-create-an-animation/#respondFri, 16 May 2014 12:26:27 +0000http://www.instruxion.com/?p=2697That’s right. Nowadays everyone can create an animation. You’ll find sufficient (free) tools on the online market by which you can combine visuals, videos, animation, voice-over, sound effects and music, and create your own animation. Company animation But ho, this...

]]>That’s right. Nowadays everyone can create an animation. You’ll find sufficient (free) tools on the online market by which you can combine visuals, videos, animation, voice-over, sound effects and music, and create your own animation.

Company animation

But ho, this doesn’t mean you’re able to create a good company animation that has the right impact on your consumers or business audience, be it internal or external. Just compare a home video with a professional movie. Indeed, apart from the tools, you need the right skills and competences.

In the field of didactic animations or explainers, knowledge and experience is crucial in how to select your content carefully, how to write good copy, i.e. a sound and solid voice-over text, how to visualize it so the animation will perfectly match with the message you want to convey, how to define and synchronize the details of the animation that will get it all to a higher level, inducing higher impact, etc.

How to convince your audience

If you think about creating an animation for your company or business unit, first make sure you know what you want to achieve and how you wish to convince your audience. If you have seen particular animations on the internet or YouTube that have the right impact on you, then search for a good professional partner that can help you in achieving the same result. Any animation that does not succeed in creating the same impact, due to e.g. a weak storyline, wrongly chosen visualizations, poor execution quality of the animation, will even do harm to your company or business unit, and at the end … to you. And, supposedly, that’s not what you had in mind. So here’s some advice: think twice before you decide to create an animation yourself. True, everyone can think twice, but not all can create high-impact animations …